8 dead in Finland school shooting

TUUSULA, Finland - An 18-year-old gunman killed eight people at a high school in southern Finland on Wednesday, then shot himself but survived, police said. They said the high school's principal was among the dead.

Police said the gunman, who used a .22-caliber pistol, was taken to hospital with serious wounds and the situation was "under control" after officers surrounded Jokela High School in Tuusula, some 30 miles north of the capital, Helsinki.

It was the first known school shooting in Finland, where gun ownership is fairly common by European standards, but shootings are rare. Medical response leader Eero Hirvensalo told The Associated Press that one person had been "severely injured" while 10 people had minor injuries.

Finnish media reports said the shooter had revealed his plans on the video Web site YouTube....(more)